Captains Club rip off?

[Ma Bell]

Sorry all - its more around trying to plan the cruise around our budget, and what they are adverting on their website, I do appreciate its free, but it is there for a reason for its existence, and that is to keep us all traveling with Celebrity and rewards our loyalty to the line. Just think they need to be clearer around how they advertise it... Agreed I think the question I asked may be wrong! Also find it strange they offer "Celebrity Cruises Best Price Guarantee" to customer in the US, but not in the UK. All round feeling is they are trying to get every last penny out of us any way they can...

 

Steven, this is a lesson on economics and politics.

 

You are paying for your "lucky" price protections one way or the other. You pay your government for your protections but as is usually the case, the companies take that into consideration when they decide which promotions to offer. There's never any free lunch.

[Mynki]

Personally I’m not seeing the problems here, I’m Elite Plus and enjoy the benefits, especially the 240 minutes internet. Wife also gets 240 mins so that’s basically 480 for me :) I’m from the UK and there’s no cultural difference, although the offers vary depending on time of year as to what’s included and its take it or leave it in the UK. There is no Best Price Guarantee and that’s fine in UK law and of course has nothing to do with Captains Club.

The current cruise price offer in the UK includes free unlimited WiFi and Classic drinks package which does of course negate the best Captains Club benefits, and that is a little annoying but as others have said the benefits are free.

 

As to Terms and Conditions on the UK web site, they are here and an extract re the cabin upgrade is clear.

 

 

https://www.celebritycruises.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/captains-club-terms/

 

One-Category Upgrade

 

One-category upgrade requests must be made at the time of booking and apply only for upgrades within the supercategory, depending on availability. Example of a supercategory upgrade in AquaClass: A2 to A1. Captain's Club one category upgrade excludes category 12, FV, SV, C1 and guarantee categories, Z, Y, X, XC, XA, W. This offer cannot be used with certain restricted fares including but not limited to travel agent and employee rates. Upgrades apply for one stateroom per cruise. Stateroom assignments only. Not valid on holiday sailings. Upgrades available from categories 11- A1 (subject to exclusions above) on all Celebrity ships except Celebrity Xpedition®, Celebrity Xperience℠ and Celebrity Xploration℠. Offer valid for members who are Classic Level or higher at the time of booking.

 

Just to add the Captains Club benefits are identical for all regardless of which country you booked in. :)

[wendychloecruiser]

Yep , but if your not careful, you it can cost you more - Ie Internet - Cheaper to buy 2 device package than 2 x 1 Device packages with discount...

 

 

Been grocery shopping lately? Happens all the time.

[Fogfog]

The Captains Club should move you within a class --paying a C3 price for a C2, paying a C2 price for a C1 location, paying an A2 price for th A1 location.

Thats a nice perk when you are in the bottom of the Captains Club.

 

Certainly the better perks are at Elite

 

We aren't heavy device users and so 1 device per cabin is fine so DH can check office email if he's so inclined

[hcat]

Costs nothing to join, so whatever the perks are, they must be worth it!

[warmwinds]

One-Category Upgrade

 

One-category upgrade requests must be made at the time of booking and apply only for upgrades within the supercategory, depending on availability. Example of a supercategory upgrade in AquaClass: A2 to A1. Captain's Club one category upgrade excludes category 12, FV, SV, C1 and guarantee categories, Z, Y, X, XC, XA, W. This offer cannot be used with certain restricted fares including but not limited to travel agent and employee rates. Upgrades apply for one stateroom per cruise. Stateroom assignments only. Not valid on holiday sailings. Upgrades available from categories 11- A1 on all Celebrity ships except Celebrity Xpedition®. Offer valid for members who are Classic Level or higher at the time of booking.

These are the rules from the US website. Of particular note should be "depending on availability" and "upgrade requests must be made at time of booking" - if you fit all the criteria you should have gotten a one-category upgrade.

[FreestyleNovice]

How many Celebrity cruises have you taken and when did you take them? Your comments seem to indicate that you are not really familiar with the program.

The lowest Concierge cabin © is a C3 not a C1. You might not be able to get a one category upgrade if you have other perks such as a free drink package, OBC, Internet or gratuities. The upgrade is considered to be a perk.

 

Is it? Haven't encountered that before on our bookings. Just curious!

[warmwinds]

Is it? Haven't encountered that before on our bookings. Just curious!

 

I don't think that's correct, either. The perks are available to anyone booking (CC status or not), the one-category upgrade is a CC "benefit" (parsing words but I think there is a difference).

[lovecruzin]

The Captains Club should move you within a class --paying a C3 price for a C2, paying a C2 price for a C1 location, paying an A2 price for th A1 location.

Thats a nice perk when you are in the bottom of the Captains Club.

 

Certainly the better perks are at Elite

 

We aren't heavy device users and so 1 device per cabin is fine so DH can check office email if he's so inclined

 

Just to clarify, there is no upgrade from C2 to C1.

[Fogfog]

Is it? Haven't encountered that before on our bookings. Just curious!

 

Yes. although in the last our TA/Celebrity did not book us this way.

Had to find out and then ASK for it --which means we overpaid for several sailings.

[Silkroad]

Just to clarify, there is no upgrade from C2 to C1.

That’s correct. I inquire each time I book just to make sure the rule hasn’t changed;) As of last week, it had not.

[warmwinds]

Look at my post #31 - it clearly states "requests must be made at time of booking" - request, so yes, you do have to request/ask for it.

[FreestyleNovice]

To the OP: why not book through an US based travel agent/website?

 

I've found European pricing often higher than US pricing and less perks/promotions and/or on board credit. Be a Smart Cruiser. :)

[FreestyleNovice]

Yes. although in the last our TA/Celebrity did not book us this way.

Had to find out and then ASK for it --which means we overpaid for several sailings.

 

Hm! No one ever pointed that out to us too. Maybe we lucked out, had both perks on a 2 perk offer and the Club upgrade last booking.

 

Will be aware of it in the future, thanks!

[Silkroad]

I don't think that's correct, either. The perks are available to anyone booking (CC status or not), the one-category upgrade is a CC "benefit" (parsing words but I think there is a difference).

Agree. Perks, such as beverage package, are available to anyone. I believe Captain’s club benefits are only available to those who have both completed one sailing, and joined captain’s club.

[Mynki]

To the OP: why not book through an US based travel agent/website?

 

I've found European pricing often higher than US pricing and less perks/promotions and/or on board credit. Be a Smart Cruiser. :)

 

Our last three RCL group bookings have been made in the UK as all three were cheaper than booking in the US. One was considerably cheaper. All perks etc were factored in to the real price.

 

In short, smart cruisers should treat each individual booking on its own merits. ;)

[jelayne]

Booking Perks such as beverage package, Internet, etc have no impact on the Captains Club 1 category upgrade benefit. You can have the 1 category upgrade and get the offered booking perks.

[Silkroad]

One-Category Upgrade

 

One-category upgrade requests must be made at the time of booking and apply only for upgrades within the supercategory, depending on availability. Example of a supercategory upgrade in AquaClass: A2 to A1. Captain's Club one category upgrade excludes category 12, FV, SV, C1 and guarantee categories, Z, Y, X, XC, XA, W. This offer cannot be used with certain restricted fares including but not limited to travel agent and employee rates. Upgrades apply for one stateroom per cruise. Stateroom assignments only. Not valid on holiday sailings. Upgrades available from categories 11- A1 on all Celebrity ships except Celebrity Xpedition®. Offer valid for members who are Classic Level or higher at the time of booking.

These are the rules from the US website. Of particular note should be "depending on availability" and "upgrade requests must be made at time of booking" - if you fit all the criteria you should have gotten a one-category upgrade.

I’d like to comment on the “depending on availability” rule, because I found very confusing when I was a newby;-) Each time I’ve called to book using the single category upgrade benefit, the Celebrity rep has first checked to ensure that a cabin at the lower category was available. If there was one, I was given the lower category price for my chosen cabin. For example, I called Celebrity to book a specific C2 cabin. Because there were still C3’s available, I was given the C3 fare for my chosen C2 cabin. Had all the C3s been booked, the benefit would not have been applied.

[laslomas]

Just a bit of help for the opening poster. The UK Captains Club telephone number is at a cost of 7 pence a minute. However there is a Freephone number you can use, which they do not advertise, it is 0800 4414055. You need to make a few options before getting to the option for Captains Club. Then they are really helpful.

 

I sort of get the moan a bit as I find that other than the benefits listed by tier, the other link to 'View exclusive Captains Club Offers' that I have on my 'My Celebrity' page simply takes me to the Celebrity Cruises Home page. I have never found any exclusive offers, so not sure if they actually exist.

 

I have managed to book with the 1 category upgrade, and as stated in responses above it is only within categories, and will not include the C1 in this. I have not lost other perks by doing it.

[villauk]

The Captains Club should move you within a class --paying a C3 price for a C2, paying a C2 price for a C1 location, paying an A2 price for th A1 location.

Thats a nice perk when you are in the bottom of the Captains Club.

 

Certainly the better perks are at Elite

 

We aren't heavy device users and so 1 device per cabin is fine so DH can check office email if he's so inclined

 

C1 is exempt from the CC one category upgrade: you can’t pay for a C2 and get a C1 cabin.

[cruisestitch]

OP Please demand your money back!

[TeaBag]

Like others I think the Captains Club is a benefit not a rip-off. I didn't think it was a rip-off even when we had to pay to belong. OP, I would sail with Celebrity to reach Elite, if I were you. It would seem you need somewhere around 150 points, since you say you have just made Select. The difference between Select and Elite is in my estimation, profound. I would book through a US based company also and I would look for guarantee pricing. Celebrity will choose your cabin in that case.

 

 

 

Happy cruising.

[Charles4515]

Is it? Haven't encountered that before on our bookings. Just curious!

 

 

 

You may not have noticed it because it was applied like a discount. The fare they charge you is the next lower category than your cabin. That is how my bookings always worked.

[Toofarfromthesea]

Sorry all - its more around trying to plan the cruise around our budget, and what they are adverting on their website, I do appreciate its free, but it is there for a reason for its existence, and that is to keep us all traveling with Celebrity and rewards our loyalty to the line. Just think they need to be clearer around how they advertise it... Agreed I think the question I asked may be wrong! Also find it strange they offer "Celebrity Cruises Best Price Guarantee" to customer in the US, but not in the UK. All round feeling is they are trying to get every last penny out of us any way they can...

 

When you start off complaining that something free is a ripoff, the thread isn't going to go well for you.

[Silkroad]

Like others I think the Captains Club is a benefit not a rip-off. I didn't think it was a rip-off even when we had to pay to belong. OP, I would sail with Celebrity to reach Elite, if I were you. It would seem you need somewhere around 150 points, since you say you have just made Select. The difference between Select and Elite is in my estimation, profound. I would book through a US based company also and I would look for guarantee pricing. Celebrity will choose your cabin in that case.

 

Happy cruising.

Based on exchange rates, it won’t always be advantageous for the OP to book via a US agent. Several UK residents on these boards have mentioned having an agent in both locations in order to book the most appealing offer.

 

Though I’m looking forward to trying those Elite benefits on my next cruise, I’ve found Select benefits very useful on my most recent three sailings. I have twice used the Select discount to book an internet package (which DH and I shared). We have also twice used the very welcome laundry discount, which allowed each of us to fill a bag of laundry at a discounted price (on sailings of 12 or more nights) instead of paying a hefty price per item. Granted, the free bags of laundry and 90 internet minutes apiece will be fabulous, but I was certainly very pleased with my Select benefits.